Spitfire dig team arrives in Burma

Jan 6 2013

A team led by a British aviation enthusiast has arrived in Burma to begin the first of several digs it hopes will unearth dozens of rare Spitfires said to have been buried in the south-east Asian country at the end of the Second World War.

The 21-member team led by farmer and businessman David Cundall will soon start excavations to find several stashes of the fighter planes believed to be under the ground near the airport in the main city, Rangoon.

The Spitfire remains Britain's most famous combat aircraft. Its reputation was cemented during the Battle of Britain when the fast-moving single-seater aircraft helped beat back waves of German bombers.

Mr Cundall said the initial project would take about four to six weeks to complete.